Container for wrenches and the like



y 4, 1933. E. H. CARROLL CONTAINER FOR WRENCHES AND THE LIKE Filed March4, 1932 J we W 2 Ai'iprneu Patented July 4, I933 ELBEET IE. CARROLL,OER/VEST BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS CONTAINER FOR VfB-ENQHES AND THE LIKEApplication filed March 4,

The invention-relates to an improved container for a socket wrench setcomprising a plurality of sockets of graduated size and one or morecommon handles which are provided 5 for use selectively with any one ofsaid socketed members.

The invention resides in the provision of a holder or container of asimple and inexpensive construction for the compact assemblage lfl-of asocket wrench set, .which container is adapted to prevent accidentaldisplacement of the parts of the set, although permitting each part tobe individually removed with ease when desired.

The present invention is an improvement on the container disclosed invapplication Serial No. 524,917, filed by the present applicant on March24, 1931. According to the present invention, the container embodies aplurality of tool containing compartments which are slidably connectedtogether in such a manner that when the container is in closed position,none of the parts'of the wrench set are removable from the container andwhen in open 25 position, each part may be individually removed.

Further advantages and objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with 30 theaccompanying drawing in which 1- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of adevice embodying the invention in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device in open position.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device in the position of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the device in the position of Fig. 8,showing the opposite end of Fig. 4.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

A socket wrench set of the type referred to provides, as is well known,a plurality of graduated similarly shaped socket members 1 each having anut or bolt receiving socket, not shown, and a polygonal opening 2, thelatter receiving one end of the handle 3, which 50 is common to all ofthe socket members. The

1932. Serial No. 536,785.

set includes, in addition to the handle 3, a ratcheting lever or handle4 of the usual con struction, and a short extension member 5. All oftheabove parts of the wrench set are mounted within the container.

The container corresponds generally in form to the container of theabove cited application. As disclosed in that application, a. shallowtray 6 is provided for the socket members, said tray having upstandingside walls 7 and 7a and parallel end walls 8 and 9 of substantiallygreater height than the side walls. The socket members are placed in thetray in a row and since the tray decreases in width toward one end, asseen from a comparison of Figs. 4 and 5, the sockets are held againsttransverse sliding movement, a tongue 10 struck up from the bottom ofthe tray holding said sockets in one end or" said tray.

The cover 11 for the tray receives the handies 3 and 4 and the extension5 and comprises parallel top and bottom walls 12 and 13 respectively,the front edges of which are bent toward each other to define retainingflanges 14 and 15 parallel to the side wall 16 of the cover. The bottomwall 13 of the cover is provided at opposite ends with paralleldownwardly extending flanges 17 and 18 which are spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the spacing oi the end walls 8 and 9 of the trayand are received between said walls in sliding engagement therewith.

The cover construction above described, provides a compartment with openends for the reception of the handle member 3 and ratchet 4, whichextend longitudinally within the compartment and are held against thetop and bottom walls 12 and 13, respectively, of the cover by flanges ortongues 20 struck out from the material of the cover. The extensionmember 5 is similarly retained against the bottom wall 13 by a tongue21. Each of the members within the cover compartment may be removedthrough the open ends of the compartment when the container is in openposition. The cover decreases in width adjacent one end corresponding tothe decreasing width of the tray so that the corresponding flanges onthe tray and cover will be substantially the same width.

With the cover and tray in the closed position of Fig. 1, the bottomwall 13 of the cover extends adjacent the upper surfaces of the socketmembers to prevent removal of the socket members from the tray, and theend walls of the tray extending upwardly to the top of the coverportion, close the open ends of the compartment in the cover to preventremoval of the handles from said compartment.

. The cover and tray are slidably connected together so that the partsmay be moved to the open position of Fig. 3 to permit removal of any ofthe sockets from the tray or the handles from the compartment in thecover. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the end walls 8 and 9 areprovided with central vertical slots 22 and 23, respectively, for thereception of vertically elongated slides 24 and 25 formed on thedepending flanges 17 and 18 of the covervand extending through the slots22 and 9.3,respectively, said slides having flanges 26 and 27 extendingbeyond the edges of the slots to prevent said slides from beingretracted through said slots. The slides 24 and 25 aresubstantiallyequal in width to the slots and are of sufficient length or height toprevent the cover portion from rotating relative to the tray, causing adirect sliding action as the parts are moved from one position to theother, said slides accordingly supporting the cover in proper positionon the tray either in the closed position of Fig. 1 or the open positionof Fig. 3.

The spacing of the upstanding ends 8 and 9 is substantially the same asthe spacing of the flanges 17 and 18, as above pointed out, so that theend walls 8 and 9 are slightly sprung apart as the flanges 17 and 18 areplaced therebetween, thereby establishing sufiicient frictional contactbetween corresponding flanges to prevent unintentional sliding movementof the cover relative to the tray. By this construction the containermay be readily closed by downward sliding movement of the cover from theposition of Fig. 3 and is securely held in closed position, Fig. 1 bythe frictional engagement between the anges. Similarly the container isopened by raising the cover relative to the tray, the frictionalengagement then supporting the cover in its open position.

From a consideration of the drawing, it will be apparent that all'of theparts of the wrench set are held within the container againstdisplacement therefrom when the container is in the closed position ofFig. 1 and that each of the parts may be individually removed whendesired when the container is in the open position of Fig. 3, thehandles being slidable through the open ends of the compartment in thecover and the socket members being readily withdrawn from the tray,relative sliding movement of 80 the cover and tray permitting opening orclosing of the tray and the cover compartment.

I claim,

1. A container for a socket wrench set comprising a tray having an opentop and upwardly extending ends, a cover slidably connected to the endsof the tray, said cover having a compartment therein open at oppositeends, said cover when in closed position 99 preventing access to saidtray and said upwardly extending .ends on the tray closing the openingto the compartment in the cover.

2. A container for a socket wrench set comprising a tray having upwardlyprojecting 1 ends, a cover for said tray having a compartment thereinopen at least at one end thereof, depending flanges at opposite ends ofsaid cover, means connecting said depending flanges to the upwardlyprojecting ends of 1 said tray for vertical sliding movement of thecover relative to the. tray, the projecting ends of the tray acting toopen or close the compartment in the cover.

3. A container for tools comprising a tray 3055 having an open top andupwardly extending ends, a cover slidably connected to the ends of thetray, said cover having a compartment therein open at least at one endthereof, said cover, when in closed position, prevent- .ing access tosaid tray, and said upwardly extending ends on the tray closing thecompartment in the cover.

ELBERT H. CARROLL. 1

